Say Anything Blog

The Associated Press is running this story about the U.S. military "forcing" so-called "former" soldiers back into uniform.

Army Recalling Thousands Who Left Service

WASHINGTON - For the first time in more than a decade, the Army is forcing thousands of former soldiers back into uniform, a reflection of the strain on the service of long campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army officials said Tuesday that about 5,600 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 and Reserve units starting in July.

Many of them will find themselves in Iraq by the end of the year.

From the headline and the first three paragraphs one would believe that our military is forcing soldiers who had completed their service obligations to serve once again, but that's not the truth according to Blackfive (who is somebody who would know):

When you sign a contract to enlist or get a commission, it is generally for EIGHT years. You perform four years of Active Duy, then you have four left in the Reserves or National Guard. The branch of the Reserves and National Guard that does not have soldiers perform monthly or annual training is the Individual Ready Reserve. It's usually where the dead weight is put - where those who don't add value are placed to finish out their obligation. For instance, if you had a work conflict with your Reserve commitment, you would be placed in the IRR to finish out your commitment. If you were consistently absent from the monthly weekend training, you would get placed in the IRR.

Everyone in the IRR should know that they can get called to service just like any other Reservist.

There are no indications that the military is calling up 7,500 retirees or formerly discharged soldiers - people like me with a DD214 Form indicating termination of service. They are calling up Reservists and National Guardsmen who are in a pool of soldiers in the IRR. It's a resource that can be tapped and it's not a shock to many Reservists or Guardsmen.

Now do you think that the big media reporters aren't aware of the fact that the people being called up are still considered soldiers available for deployment or are they just leaving that part out in order to make the situation seem more gloomy?