posted on September 28, 2004 08:41:48 AM new
Even soldiers have had enough of the BUSH/CHENEY IRAQ MESS. This mess is just like Viet Nam all over again. Bush/Cheney have failed and are now lying to the American people about Iraq. Please read U.S.A. report below posted on AOL this morning.
500 Ready Reservists Seek Exemptions From Reactivation, Risk AWOL Status
By Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY
(Sept. 28) - Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have reported on time, prompting the Army to threaten some with punishment for desertion.
The former soldiers, part of what is known as the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), are being recalled to fill shortages in skills needed for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Of the 1,662 ready reservists ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., by Sept. 22, only 1,038 had done so, the Army said Monday. About 500 of those who failed to report have requested exemptions on health or personal grounds.
"The numbers did not look good," said Lt. Col. Burton Masters, a spokesman for the Army's Human Resources Command. "We are tightening the system, reaching the people and bringing them in."
Masters said most of the requests for exemptions are likely to be denied: "To get an exemption, it has to be a very compelling case, such as a severe medical condition."
The figures are the first on the IRR call-up. They reflect the challenges the Pentagon faces in trying to find enough troops for ongoing operations and show resistance among some servicemembers who returned to civilian life.
The ready reserve is an infrequently used pool of former soldiers who can be called to duty in a national emergency or war. On June 29, the Army announced it would call 5,674 members of its IRR back to active duty this year and next.
Several of those who received recall notices have already been declared AWOL (absent without official leave) and technically are considered deserters. "We are not in a rush to put someone in the AWOL category," Masters said. "We contact them and convince them it is in their best interests to show up. If you are a deserter, it can affect you the rest of your life."
Fourteen people were listed as AWOL last week; six subsequently told the Army they would report. Punishment for being AWOL is up to the unit commander and can include prison time and dishonorable discharge, said Col. Joseph Curtin, an Army spokesman.
With a force that generals say is stretched thin, the Army is considering $1,000-a-month bonuses to ex-soldiers who volunteer to return for overseas duty.
Ready reservists are soldiers who were honorably discharged after finishing their active-duty tours, usually four to six years, but remain part of the IRR for the rest of their original eight-year commitment. The IRR call-up is the first major one in 13 years, since 20,277 troops were ordered back for the Persian Gulf War.
posted on September 28, 2004 11:17:43 AM new
Now we know how the military has been able to meet it's goals. It is all a numbers game of when they sign people up vs when they report.
Army expects to meet new recruit goals
Items compiled from Tribune news services
Published September 28, 2004
FT. KNOX, KENTUCKY -- The Army and Army Reserves expect to meet their recruiting goals this year, largely because nearly half the recruits from last year were not counted until they reported for duty, officials said Monday.
But military observers say the picture could be bleaker next year, when that delayed-entry pool is depleted.
"The next fiscal year is going to be a very trying time," said Charles Moskos, military sociologist at Northwestern University.
The Army's goal was to recruit 77,000 new active Army troops and 21,200 reserve troops. As of Aug. 31, the Army had 70,479 new recruits and the Army reserves had 19,642.
The recruiting year ended Monday.
"We'll be slightly above each goal," said Douglas Smith, spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command.
This is the fifth straight year the Army has met its goal.
DICK CHENEY SUPPORTS MY RELATIONSHIP: People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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YOU CAN'T HAVE BULLSH** WITH OUT BUSH.
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posted on September 29, 2004 12:03:36 PM new
I went in on delayed enlistment. It is an excellent way to get time to get your affairs in order before an extended absence. It helps in meeting enlistment goals, as has been indicated already.
