Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Times
March 27, 2007
Pg. 15
By David S. Cloud
WASHINGTON, March 26 — As many as 1,200 Marine reservists are being involuntarily called up for duty in Iraq next year for jobs the service has been unable to find enough volunteers to fill, the Marine Corps said Monday.
The mobilization, which was approved by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates last week, reflects the increasing manpower shortages the Marines are facing as the war in Iraq continues. Officials said it would have been necessary even without the increase in American force levels in Iraq, which will reach 160,000, including 25,000 marines, by June.
Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Riehl said Monday that the corps was notifying 1,800 members of the individual ready reserve, made up of inactive marines who have not finished their service requirements, with a goal of getting 1,200 marines for one-year deployments in 2008. The affected marines will begin reporting for duty in October, Colonel Riehl said.
The use of reservists is part of a push by Gen. James T. Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, to give marines longer periods at home before having to go back to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most of the call-ups are for support jobs, like aviation maintenance, logistics and truck driving, but more than 200 marines will be put into combat jobs, Colonel Riehl said.
The mobilization is the largest involuntary call-up since the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, when around 2,000 Marine reservists were returned to active duty. The Army has made more extensive use of a similar authorization, ordering back more than 5,000 soldiers since the war in Iraq began.
President Bush authorized use of the ready reserve last August, specifying that only 2,500 marines could be mobilized at one time. Only 69 marines have been activated so far under that order.
March 27, 2007
Pg. 15
By David S. Cloud
WASHINGTON, March 26 — As many as 1,200 Marine reservists are being involuntarily called up for duty in Iraq next year for jobs the service has been unable to find enough volunteers to fill, the Marine Corps said Monday.
The mobilization, which was approved by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates last week, reflects the increasing manpower shortages the Marines are facing as the war in Iraq continues. Officials said it would have been necessary even without the increase in American force levels in Iraq, which will reach 160,000, including 25,000 marines, by June.
Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Riehl said Monday that the corps was notifying 1,800 members of the individual ready reserve, made up of inactive marines who have not finished their service requirements, with a goal of getting 1,200 marines for one-year deployments in 2008. The affected marines will begin reporting for duty in October, Colonel Riehl said.
The use of reservists is part of a push by Gen. James T. Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, to give marines longer periods at home before having to go back to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most of the call-ups are for support jobs, like aviation maintenance, logistics and truck driving, but more than 200 marines will be put into combat jobs, Colonel Riehl said.
The mobilization is the largest involuntary call-up since the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, when around 2,000 Marine reservists were returned to active duty. The Army has made more extensive use of a similar authorization, ordering back more than 5,000 soldiers since the war in Iraq began.
President Bush authorized use of the ready reserve last August, specifying that only 2,500 marines could be mobilized at one time. Only 69 marines have been activated so far under that order.
