Posted on 08/19/2006 2:54:04 PM PDT by leadpenny
CAMP ANACONDA, Iraq - Spc. Chris Carlson had been out of the U.S. Army for two years and was working at Costco in California when he received notice that he was being called back into service.
The 24-year-old is one of thousands of soldiers and Marines who have been deployed to Iraq under a policy that allows military leaders to recall troops who have left the service but still have time left on their contract.
"I thought it was crazy," said Carlson, who has found himself protecting convoys on Iraq's dangerous roads as part of a New Jersey National Guard unit. "Never in a million years did I think they would call me back."
Although troops are allowed to leave active duty after a few years of service, they generally still have time left on their contract with the military that is known as "inactive ready reserve" status, or IRR. During that time, they have to let their service know their current address, but they don't train, draw a paycheck or associate in any other way with the military.
But with active duty units already completing multiple tours in Iraq, the Pentagon has employed the rarely used tactic of calling people back from IRR status, a policy sometimes referred to as a "backdoor draft."
According to the U.S. Army Reserve, approximately 14,000 soldiers on IRR status have been called to active duty since March 2003 and about 7,300 have been deployed to Iraq. The Marine Corps has mobilized 4,717 Marines who were classified as inactive ready reserve since Sept. 11, and 1,094 have been deployed to Iraq, according to the Marine Forces Reserve.
The 1st Squadron of the 167th Cavalry RSTA, which is based in Lincoln, Neb. and oversees the New Jersey guard unit here in Iraq, has about 40 IRR soldiers within its ranks of roughly 1,000 soldiers, and officers in the squadron say the troops have merged into the unit without any problems.
Jason Mulligan, 28, of Ridgefield, Conn., left the army back in 2002 after two years in the infantry. He was working as a painting contractor while studying wildlife conservation when he received his letter last fall alerting him that he'd been mobilized.
The letter was followed up by another warning to Mulligan that if he didn't comply, the government would prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
"My family and my fiancee were telling me 'Don't' report. Don't show up,' said Mulligan, who also serves with a New Jersey National Guard unit as a gunner on a Humvee helping patrol the territory around Camp Anaconda, a base about 50 miles north of Baghdad. "And I thought, 'Well I got that nasty letter saying they were going to put me in jail if I don't show up.'"
Anthony Breaux, 24, from La Place, La., said he had a feeling that eventually he would be recalled to service after hearing of so many other soldiers who were pulled from IRR status. Breaux, who left active duty in September 2002, said he knew it was part of the bargain when he joined the army.
"Well, I signed up. I signed the papers. So you know what? I got to do what I got to do," Breaux said, before getting ready for a reconnaissance patrol around Camp Anaconda.
Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Arlington, Va.-based Lexington Institute, said part of the reason that the military has called up so many people who were on reserve status is that certain skill sets such as military police or civil affairs were concentrated in the reserves after the Cold War ended.
But he said the sheer numbers of IRR soldiers being mobilized also are a sign that the military doesn't have enough people to fight this war, now in its fourth year.
"It seems clear in retrospect that the active-duty force wasn't big enough to sustain a 'long war' against global terrorism, and also lacked the proper mix of skills to wage that war with maximum effectiveness," Thompson said.
That thought is echoed by many of the IRR soldiers. Mulligan said the military's reliance on IRR soldiers shows how "desperate" the services are for troops.
"Maybe it says something for maybe the way the military is treating the people that are over here, because they're just not wanting to stay on," said Mulligan.
Some of the IRR soldiers, such as Carlson, still will have time on their military contracts when they return from this deployment, meaning they could possibly be called back another time. But others will end their IRR status around the same time their deployment in Iraq ends next spring or will have so little time left that they would not be deployed again.
Spc. Mark Wiles, 27, of Phoenix, said his 6 1/2 years of active duty and the time he'll have served on this deployment mean that his reserve status will be over when the unit gets home. The only way that the military could keep him is if they extended the unit's stay in Iraq.
"Those of us who are IRR are seriously hoping they don't do that," Wiles said.
My former neighbor, now deceased, was one. He caught the tail end of WWII, and a leg wound, in the Navy. When they called him for Korea he told them he'd done his time and they educated him otherwise.
His leg wound was a permanent disability that sometimes had him limping and sometimes not. The VA made him come in each year to prove his disability. He said to me, "What was I supposed to do if I wasn't limping for the physical? Fake it?" He stopped going for the physicals and forfeited the benefit. Probably a lot of guys did the same.
Some are still there.
That puts my little deployment in proper perspective.
I would not relish another deployment or recall from retirement, but that doesn't enter in to it.
It is up to the service chiefs and the executive branch to consider the benifits and costs of deploying IRR and retired service members. My job would be to shut up and go if called.
"Like we could get a lib to defend this country today by forcing him?"
News Flash: There are libs in the military. There just isn't any politics in a foxhole
As far as the draft goes, Vietnam gave it a bad name. Prior to that, even with the corruption of local draft boards, it worked pretty well since before WWII. Quite frankly, Elvis was not atypical of the draftee during the inter-war years. He gave them two years, did his job, and went home.
I agree with those who say a draft is not going to happen now, especially in the current political climate. But, had W asked for authority to draft in Sep 01, he'd have had a bill on his desk to sign before the end of the month.
I have six more years till 60 and retired four years ago. I read this article with interest obviously. My only concern is leaving a new business that just cost me a bundle. Other than that I would leave tomorrow without any regret.
It's 8 now.At least it was in the early 80's when I went in.
Inactive reserves don't get paid. Your military contract has 3 components: active duty, active reserve, and inactive reserve. You get paid for active duty, paid for drills when in the active reserve, and paid nothing when in the inactive reserves.
Good points and thank you for your service. How many service members do you think are signing up just for the perks nowadays? I have read and talked to many who signed up just for the "free" college or the "bonuses".
One couple I know has a 22 year old son serving in Iraq. They were livid that he re-enlisted without talking to them first. Turns out he took his re-enlistment bonus and bought a brand new 4x4 truck and had it customised. The truck is in Florida and he won't see it for a year atleast.
IRR status is a non-pay, non-training assignment. Thus, there'd be no checks to cash.
Every commissioned officer at retirement is assigned to the 'Retired Reserve' not discharged. Thus, even at at advanced ages officers with special skills, such as being able to fog a mirror, are subject to be recalled to active duty. Example, a psychologist from Melbourne, Fla., age 69, was recalled and, as far as I'm aware is in Iraq still. The Bush/Rumsfeld military is a classic FUBAR and it's only gonna get worse. The leadership at DOD is non-existent and the current policy stupid beyond all description.
Or you can volunteer as a Department of the Army Civilian to go to Afghanistan for a few weeks to work as a historian. Getting to draw civilian pay, retired pay and a chance to get shot at (well not to good of a chance of that in Kabul).
I guess it's news to the media that some people honor their oaths and contracts, I'm sure it's a foreign concept to most liberals.
My father was a Marine during WW2 and was seriously wounded.When the Korean war started,he was called back up.He only made it through half the war,as his old injurys caught up with him.He has never recieved a purple heart,and many other medals he was entitled to.To this day,he will never talk about anything war related.He has no interest in getting any medals due him or any recognition whatsoever.I have seen his discharge papers,and am very proud of him.He was a great soldier.
IRR is "Individual Ready Reserve." Of course, the subtle change to "inactive" makes the story so much better...
IRR is non pay
Ooops. The 69 year old retired 0-6 recalled is a dentist not a psychologist. Just got so advised by a colleague at the MOAA chapter.
Right you are.
Cost effective and they know the score.
If you want to see a great movie on said subject look for The Bridges At Toko-Ri. starring William holden,Mickey roony. Very sad but great Flick
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