Marines to face involuntary recalls

[tocqueville]

By Kristin Roberts
26 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine Corps will start ordering what could be thousands of inactive service members to return to duty in the coming months to counter a steady decline in the number of such troops who volunteer, the service said on Tuesday.

Col. Guy Stratton, head of the Marine Corps' manpower mobilization plans, said the service is short some 1,200 volunteers over the next 18 months to fill roles in the war on terrorism. The total shortfall fluctuates regularly, he said.

Stratton said President George W. Bush authorized the Marine Corps to issue involuntary recall orders to members of the Individual Ready Reserve, part of the non-active force. It will be the Marine Corps' first involuntary recall since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The authorization limits the number of Marines who can be activated involuntarily to no more 2,500 at any one time, out of a pool of about 35,000, Stratton said. The length of each activated service member's duty is capped at 24 months but will likely last 12 to 18 months.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&u=/nm/20060822/ts_nm/arms_usa_troops_dc_4

[Breeze54]

1. I thought b* said there wasn't a 'civil war' in Iraq?

:nuke: He keeps acting like it's all good over there, that FUCKER!!!!!!!!!! :grr:

Marines to Recall Troops to Active Duty

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 22, 2006; 7:46 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/22/AR2006082200881.html

This is the first time the Marines have had to use the involuntary recall since the
beginning of the Iraq combat. The Army, meanwhile, has issued orders recalling
about 10,000 soldiers so far, but many of those may be granted exemptions.

The call-up will affect Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve, a segment of the
reserves that consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have
time remaining on their eight-year military obligations.

Generally, Marines enlist for four years, then serve the other four years either
in the regular Reserves, where they are paid and train periodically, or in the
Individual Ready Reserve. Marines in the IRR are obligated to report only one day
a year but can be involuntarily recalled to active duty.

To date, about 5,000 Army IRR soldiers have mobilized, and about 2,200 of those
are currently serving, according to Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman.
Of those 2,200, about 16 percent are volunteers, he said.
A typical Army enlistment obligation is also for eight years.

According to Stratton, there are about 59,000 Marines in the IRR, but the Corps
has decided to exempt from the call-up those who are either in their first year
or last year of the reserve status.
As a result, the pool of available Marines is about 35,000.

The deployments can last up to two years, but on average would be 12 to 18 months,
Stratton said. Each Marine who is being recalled will get five months to prepare
before having to report.

President Bush authorized the recall on July 26. It is the first such recall since
early 2003, when about 2,000 Marines were involuntarily activated for the initial
ground war in Iraq.

"Since this is going to be a long war," said Stratton, "we thought it was judicious
and prudent at this time to be able to use a relatively small portion of those Marines
to help us augment our units."

http://www.defenselink.mil/

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They damn well better NOT be involuntarily recalling my sons!!
Mutha Fuckers!!! AARRRGHGHGHRRHHGGHH!! :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Fleshdancer]

2. we are so screwed if Bush decides to hit Iran

crap. This isn't good.