The Command T.O.C.

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Mom Reports to Benning with Kids

A very interesting article on MSNBC titled, "Soldier Mom Plans to Report for Duty with Kids". She filed for an exemption and it appears it was denied. Now she is going to call their bluff and bring the entire family with her. Fantastic!! That is great. If the Army wants to send a family to war, have at it! Although, I do not remember her posting here so rather than higher a high priced lawyer who appears to have lost, she should have come here and won with a lot of people who have won here. 

There is the obligatory baloney from the St. Louis spokesperson Keith O'Donnell (who calls himself a Master Sergeant. Here is some crap he throws:

"The Army tries to look at the whole picture and they definitely don't want to do anything that jeopardizes the family or jeopardizes the children," O'Donnell said. "At the same time, these are individuals who made obligations and commitments to the country."

Of course he does not discuss the obligations and commitments the Army has made to the IRR from about the beginning of time. The IRR was meant for WWIII not an augmentation because the current Army is too small or too incompetent to fight a war. Imagine, after 5 years of fighting this war we are still so small and so incompetent, and the war is still such a quagmire, that they are still calling up IRR soldiers. We had won WWII by this time. The IRR called up for the first gulf war were for about 90 days and even those were just back fill for the Army which actually went to fight. 

I encourage more to do this. Bring kids, dogs, families, sick grandparents. Bring the lot of them and let the Army "sort it out".

A Sad Day - An Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Soldier Loses His Life in Afghanistan

I will dispense with the utter disgust and contempt I have for those who sent him. I will only say, God be with CPT Brian Bunting, only 29 years young, recalled into active duty from the IRR and loses his life in Afghanistan. Our prayers go out to all the IRR soldiers involuntarily being drafted into service. This is a reminder of why we need to stop this injustice. 

The article about this soldier is at the Salem News.  

Thank you to "endirr" who commented on this tradgedy concerning Captain Bunting on my blog and urged me to write about him.  

A site where you can express your condolences is here at Captain Bunting's West Point Site (please, no politics. Nice words will do). 

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Comments and Questions

In case you are new to this blog and are specifically looking for Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) topics, you will want to search just on the posts related to IRR Information. Further, the really "hot" discussion with questions and answers is found at the IRR Open Post II. Let me know if you have any questions!

Army IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) Advertising Jobs on Craig's List

I cannot vouch for the integrity of this ad or whether the facts are accurate. However, in my role of bringing all IRR information to you, I figured I would reprint this ad I found on Craigslist:

***** Ad Begins:

Army Reserves $20,000 Bonus/No Mobilizing - IRR ONLY

---

Reply to: patrick.dambrosio@us.army.mil ^[?]
Date: 2009-01-09, 5:49PM EST

Hello, my name is SFC D’Ambrosio, Patrick. I’m an Army Reserve Career Counselor. If you’re currently in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and would like to work part-time for 38 days a year in your local area with the Army Reserves and not have to worry about mobilizing, you will qualify for many benefits:

1. To qualify you must have served in the Army, Army National Guard or Reserves within the last 8 years. If you’re coming off Active Duty you may qualify for the $20,000 Affiliation Bonus.

2. If you have college credits you can qualify for an additional bonus of $10,000 if you decide to become a Commissioned Officer or Warrant Officer.

3. Continuing college? We offer 100% Tuition Assistance on top of your GI Bill.

4. Army Mobilization Deferment Program. This program is only for soldiers who VOLUNTARILY transfer from the IRR into an Army Reserve unit. Accepting this program will put you into a NON MOBILIZING STATUS for 24 months. Currently thousands of soldiers have been INVOLUNTARILY mobilized from the IRR. This new program prevents you from being mobilized overseas.

5. MSO Reduction Program. If you voluntarily transfer into an Army Reserve unit you can cut the remaining time of your contract within the IRR by half. For example, if you have four years left on your contract in the IRR then you can reduce this to 2 years.

6. Effective 1OCT07 Reserve soldiers will qualify for the TRI-CARE Reserve Select (TRS) Health Care Plan.

If you are interested in seeing what job vacancies are in your area or you’re unsure of your status, please call (516) 967-9263 or e-mail. Thank you for your service.

• This is a part-time job.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Phone calls about this job are ok.
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 986729032

***** AD ENDS

Issues of Returning Veterans.. A View of the Wars from A Veteran.

I am reprinting this article in it's entirety from MERCED Sun Star by Seth Ewing. Here is who Seth Ewing Is:

Specialist Seth L. Ewing is an Army combat veteran of two tours in Iraq. His first tour was the initial invasion of 2003, in Mosul for 10 months. The second came in 2006, in pre-surge Baghdad for a year. His awards include two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He now studies journalism at Merced College.

And the article which I think is very insightful: *************

As a returning veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I would like to address some areas of concern in the local Merced community that affect our returning veterans who currently study at Merced College and UC Merced.

First is the issue of the Individual Readiness Reserve, or IRR. Many people are unaware of what the IRR is. People who are familiar with it refer to it loathsomely as "the back-door draft." Every service member signs an eight-year contract, regardless of how many years are spent on active duty.

For example, if a soldier signs up for two years active duty, he or she will have to wait out a remaining six years on the IRR roster. A majority of young people join the military in order to receive money for college. This is especially true for the community of Merced, where poverty is a major affliction.

The problem is that there is no special protection for student-veterans who are being recalled into active duty. Some feel that soldiers and other members of the military deserve everything that happens to them in Iraq or Afghanistan simply because they volunteered for it. Such apathetic thinking is absurd.

Young veterans who've come home as I did look at war in many ways. Some continue to believe in the truth and worth of their mission. Others, as I have done, question whether their commitment was worthwhile.

Every member of the military takes an oath to defend the United States, uphold the Constitution and obey the president, who is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The notion that the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan is vital to our defense is absurd. Iraq never harbored al-Qaida until the United States made it possible by removing the previous government, therefore creating a suitable environment for anarchy.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has now grown into a myth that is a moral justification for an illegal war unsanctioned by the United Nations. The United States is a member of the U.N., and, as a member, the U.S. is required to follow the rules of the U.N. The U.S. is in no way exempt from following those rules.

It is important to remember that the reason for the initial invasion was to rid Iraq of weapons of mass-destruction. It's now known that there never were any of these weapons, and some suggest that Vice President Dick Cheney forged the evidence of WMDs. This raises the question: is it possible that if the government lied about Iraq, could it possibly be lying again? The answer is yes -- it is possible.

Afghanistan is even more easily refutable. The true intentions of the Bush administration are to set up an oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea, through Pakistan, Afghanistan and finally ending at the Indian Ocean. The Caspian Sea is one of the world's main sources of crude oil and natural gas.

Hamid Karzai, the Bush-appointed president of Afghanistan, is a former Unocal employee. The exact hour is now known when Osama bin Laden crossed over from Afghanistan into Pakistan, eluding the CIA and U.S. forces in 2001. The only reason the Bush administration keeps letting him get away is so he can be their Orwellian Snowball, the pig in "Animal Farm" who received all the blame for anything going wrong.

Pakistan used to be No. 1 on the list of terrorist states until 9/11 when it became an ally of convenience that could facilitate the pipeline. It should also be noted that each and every 9/11 terrorist had a Pakistani visa stamped on his passport.

The final clause in a service member's oath states that a service member must obey the orders of the president. This is true. But what do you do when the orders of the president are unlawful -- as proven previously.

In a free society, leaders are held to the same laws as the citizens. When you break the rules, you must be held accountable.

It seems only just that when the Bush administration leaves office that some of its members be put on trial for their unlawful actions. These include fraud, abuse of power for financial gain and the murder of innocent lives, among many other crimes including the legalization of torture as an interrogation technique.

It is unfortunate that an act of free expression -- the incident of Iraqi journalist Al-Zaidi throwing his shoes at President Bush -- has shifted attention away from the Bush's most recent treaty guaranteeing U.S. occupation until the year 2011. This undermines President-elect Obama's authority, whose plan calls for a full troop withdrawal by the end of 2009.

It is unconceivable that even now, veterans who have left the Army are now getting recall orders in their Christmas stockings. Veterans who have already suffered through numerous combat deployments. Veterans who have families with children they will never see growing up. Veterans who are struggling financially who are going to college on the GI Bill.

Our local community doesn't need to sit idly by. Giving special protection for student-veterans isn't enough. We need to end these two conflicts. A small idea in Merced County can spread and change America. Spread the word -- it is never too late for justice to be served.

********************End of Article

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Muster Information

This message just came across the wire concerning next year's musters. Interesting reading:

*************

TODAY'S FOCUS

Army Individual Ready Reserve MusterWhat is it? 

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Soldiers have participation requirements, including muster duty. U.S. Army Human Resources Command may order an IRR Soldier to muster as often as once a year. A muster is a one-day event conducted at Army Reserve Centers and VA Centers throughout the country. Soldiers are paid about $200 for participating.
What has the Army done? 

The Army has developed three types of musters: 

The Personnel Accountability Muster (PAM) is designed for Soldiers during their first year in the IRR. The Soldier completes a virtual screening prior to going to an Army Reserve center, where he meets with an Army Reserve Career Counselor to receive an IRR orientation and learn about opportunities and benefits. He also completes the Post Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA), if applicable.

The Unit Visit (UV) is usually for Soldiers who do not live near urban centers, and is conducted during their second year in the IRR. The Soldier accomplishes PAM tasks while Troop Program Units (TPU) are conducting battle assemblies. The intent is to place IRR Soldiers in an environment where they can observe the camaraderie and esprit-de-corps that is available in a Reserve unit.

A Readiness Muster (RM) is usually for Soldiers who live near urban centers, and is conducted during their second year in the IRR. RMs are conducted in major cities around the country by Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis personnel with U.S. Army Reserve Command, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Strategic Health Alliance. Soldiers accomplish PAM tasks, receive medical and dental screenings, and complete a modified Readiness and Deployment Checklist.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future? 

About 14,000 IRR Soldiers will be mustered in 2009. In addition to PAMs and UVs, 13 RMs will be conducted. HRC continues executing the IRR Transformation Plan prepared by the G-1 in June 2005 with the goal of resetting and reinvigorating the IRR and improving readiness across the reserve component.
Why is this important to the Army? 

Musters enhance IRR Soldier readiness. The end state is improved Total Army readiness. Musters ensure that our individual warriors are ready and available for unit augmentation, and provide a continuum of personnel service as Soldiers transition between active duty, the selected reserve and the ready reserve. 

**********

I am starting to think it may be a good idea to skip these musters after all.

"Stand To" Army Article on Individual Ready Reserve (IRR)

I received this in email a few days ago and thought it was interesting reading:

TODAY'S FOCUS

Army Individual Ready Reserve What is it? 

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Soldiers are a group of trained, experienced military professionals available to individually augment active duty, Reserve or National Guard units. They live, work and study in the civilian community, but they are military members who usually have an existing service obligation. 

Every person who joins the Army incurs a statutory Military Service Obligation (MSO) of not less than six and not more than eight years. Soldiers typically serve two to four years on active duty, and then are transferred to the Reserve to fulfill the remainder of their obligation. 

The IRR is just one of several Reserve categories that a Soldier can enter. Other categories include the Active Guard Reserve, the Troop Program Unit, and the Individual Mobilization Augmentee.

IRR Soldiers are required to meet minimum annual requirements that include updating personal contact information, attending muster duty, updating a readiness screening questionnaire online and responding to official military correspondence. They are also subject to involuntary mobilization. As IRR members, they can apply for active duty assignments, obtain professional development training and get promoted. 

The use of the IRR is nothing new. IRR Soldiers were mobilized for the Berlin Crisis, the Vietnam War and for Operation Desert Storm. IRR Soldiers have mobilized and deployed for the war on terror since 9/11, and some have died as a result of combat action. 

What has the Army done?

In 2005, the G-1 issued the IRR Transformation plan, which represents an integrated and systematic approach to human capital management that will reset and reinvigorate the IRR, improving readiness across the reserve component. The plan addresses IRR life-cycle management, outreach and culture. U.S. Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis (HRC-STL) is implementing the IRR Transformation plan.
Why is it important to the Army? 

The IRR is the Army’s leading prior service talent bank. Our worldwide obligations require IRR Soldiers to actively participate in our nation’s defense. The Army accesses the forces and capabilities of the IRR as necessary to fight and win our nation’s wars. 
What continued effort does the Army have planned for the future?

Annual musters are a key element of IRR Transformation. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, HRC-STL expects to muster about 14,000 IRR Soldiers, and will specifically muster those who have not completed the PDHRA. In FY 2008, 2,900 IRR Soldiers attending musters decided to transfer to Reserve units.

The web version of this BS can be found at the United States' Army Stand To Site.

New Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Call Ups on Veteran's Day

Looks like a large call up kicked on on none other than Veterans day. Great work Army. Thanks for the "Thank you for serving". Anyway, CALLING ALL who have gone through this before it is time to help with:

• Deferments
• Exemptions 
• Fighting the Army and generally burying them in paperwork. 

We need everyone's help in fighting this and helping with the D&E Packet. New call ups should read the following:

• Take the time and read everything at the IRR Post Part II especially the comments.  
• Read "Clearing the Fog" at VetVoice
• Post your location on the IRR Map so we can see where everyone is from. No private information is given out here.. just a pin on a map.  
• Join and participate in IRR Watch - The Google Group.  

Remember, you now have a NEW SECOND JOB and that is to get a great Delay and Exemption packet together, ALWAYS ask for an exemption, and you cannot sleep until this is done! 

We are here to help! Let's all pitch in for the new guys and help them out! 

Recruiters Using Barack Obama "Promise" to Recruit into Reserve Units from IRR

This is an interesting one. A recruiter (not sure if it is a "rogue"  or not) is using Barack Obama's promise to get us out of "these wars" as a reason to join reserve units from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Here is what is interesting about this lie from the recruiter:

1. The program he cites has nothing to do with Barack Obama. It has been in existence for a long time.
2. Barack Obama has never promised to get us out of "these other countries" (i.e., Plural).  Even the note from the recruiter contradicts itself. It clearly (and rightfully) says Barack Obama has promised to get us out of Iraq but then it goes on to use the plural "countries" clearly misleading the reader into believing we will be out of Afghanistan as well. When, in fact, Barack Obama has said many times that we need to get out of Iraq AND we may need to put MORE troops in Afghanistan. 
3. The program is NOT A GUARANTEE. It is "current Army policy" and can be changed at a moment's notice (a la Stop loss, extending tours etc.).  

So, understand what you are signing up for here. Don't buy this and I cannot believe we allow recruiters to use our President - elect's name in a recruiting gimmick unless it is absolutely condoned by the President-Elect; which I am sure it is not. 

The recruiting command should be ashamed of themselves and require this to cease immediately.  

Human Resources Command Responds To The Command T.O.C!

Well, I finally got Human Resources Command in Saint Louis to respond to some direct questions. I must say they were very cordial and interested in responding. Like most Government responses, you have to read the words carefully but I am thrilled to say that Col Good's office responded. So, here is what I asked:

My question:

One of the questions my readers had dealt with is being recalled then
reclassed. I believe Col Good said they recall people who have
specific specialties. However, we have numerous examples where people
were recalled and then reclassed immediately to civil affairs. Further, we
have numerous examples of soldiers, once they get to ther unit, being
told they will be used in a completely different specialty.

I know my readers would like to hear what Col Good's position is on this.

The PAO for Col Good responds:

"In response to your questions, HRC-STL does not reclassify mobilized IRR
Soldiers. The G1 may direct Soldier reclassification based on the needs
of the Army after a mobilized IRR Soldier has processed through the
mobilization station. The G1 mission is to develop, manage and execute
all manpower and personnel plans, programs and policies - across all
Army Components - for the entire Army team. After a mobilized IRR
Soldier reports to his unit, his duties and responsibilities are
directed by his chain of command."

I also asked just a general question about the IRR and they responded:

"In response to your question, Active Duty units, as well as mobilizing
Reserve units, may submit manpower requirements to HRC that may best be
filled by trained, experienced IRR Soldiers. There are about 65,000 IRR
soldiers, and in the seven years since 9/11, we have published about
20,000 mobilization orders. That is about 31 percent of the IRR.
Slightly less than 5,000 are mobilized now, and that is about 7 percent
of the current IRR population. There is no large-scale mobilization of
the IRR underway. We routinely receive manpower requirements which we
routinely fill.

In response to your other question, HRC-STL receives hundreds of calls
each week from IRR Soldiers. Our Customer Service hotline, 800-318-5298,
or 314-592-0123, is always available to IRR Soldiers who wish to
directly communicate with us.

I am not sure about the second answer but the first answer is a bit of fancy footwork. Clearly, the question we are asking deals with whether they are bringing back bodies and reclassing them. The PAO basically says, "It is their fault... go talk to the G1". Well, I am sure if we go to the G1 they will say, "Well, it is the division's fault" and you would drown in the bureaucracy. No one will speak to the issue, or take accountability for the fact, that they are recalling and reclassing people immediately. This allows HRC to say, "We only recall the MOS's we need" while knowing for a fact that once that person is in they have a good shot of being reclassed. 

Any thoughts?