Inactive military being activated ??

[SplshMtn99]

I've felt horrible since Monday about something. I work in a small office of 6 employees -- 3 of us do most of the work. One of the 3 I'm pretty close with.

Her SO has been inactive duty (airforce) for 6 yrs after completing his requirement. They have a 2 yr old child together. They met after he got out of service.

She's been very supportive of my DH's situation --always asking if he'll be deployed......and how I feel about everything.

Well. Monday AM, her SO got a call from his commanding officer (who tracked him down after 6 yrs) stating they MAY be activated. Well, she LOST IT! (Understandable!!) She's 26. Has NO experience with this whole military life thing. They are sending him forms to fill out to get him back into the system; physicals.....so if they need him.... they'll be ready. She's going crazy. Making him get a will. Ready to move to where ever he goes to. Ready to quit her job.......... Leave her family......

I'm trying to rationalize everything to her. I don't know what else to say. I've lived this military life for over 15 yrs...I guess I'm just used to the government way (whatever that means).

I also feel SO GUILTY. Guilty because my DH has 20+ yrs in Army NG and STILL IN ...and he's still HERE! (Blessed - I know!) It makes NO sense to me why they wouldn't take ACTIVE & TRAINED before they start calling up INACTIVE & OUT OF TRAINING?????????? I'm at a loss to explain that to her.

I've given her our "family preparing" booklet that we received during Desert Storm.....to help her with what she may need to prepare for.

Sorry for rambling. Do you know any other inactive duty that has been called to say "start preparing JUST IN CASE"????

 

[Dodie]

Maybe her DH was in a very specialized role? Something that they think they may need?

I can't imagine that this would happen if that were not the case.

 

[dandave]

I know very, very little about this. DH's brother is IRR, inactive ready reserves. After 9-11, he was called up. He is in military intelligence. He was away from home for a long time, but is back home right now. I haven't heard that he has been recalled yet.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Dodie,

I was just going to reply to post basically the same thing and your reply popped up.

While I don't know anyone in that particular situation, I do know that when my brother in law was riffed out back in the mid 90s he never really left active duty. Ok, that sounds weird - let me try to explain.

When Pres. Clinton did that big force reduction he and many of his comrades were eliminated from the "active duty" roles. They were put on reserve status but because of their specialized training - Mike is a navigator. At the time on the tankers, now on AWACS. He was then immediately put on active reserve status. He never stopped flying or training. After 9/11 he was re-activated to full military status once again. And promoted to Major.

Alice says the only thing they didn't have those in between years was HER status as an officer's wife. Ok a little off subject - but my guess would be some sort of specialized knowledge or skill that they figure is easier to resurrect than train brand new.

Good luck - (((hugs))) for all of you.
Deb

 

[ChibiJones]

My brother had been out of the Marines for a little over a year before he got re-activated in February. They re-activated him because they were so short-staffed at his base. He's only supposed to be in for a year and only to help with the administration of the base, but of course that could all change.

Interestingly, his wife took a message from the Marines asking him to consider signing up for this one-year stint. The next day, they received a certified letter with his orders. Why did they bother calling and asking if they had already sent out his orders?

I agree that it doesn't seem to make sense why they would call up people who are out when we still have enlisted reservists. In my brother's case it make a little more sense because he hasn't been out all that long, just a year. Does her DH have any special skills that they may want?

 

[SplshMtn99]

The only other thing that I know from her (& she isn't 100% sure on some of his past military experience) is that he was cut during Clinton's reduction. She assumed he was discharged - now she learns he was listed as inactive. He's not trained in 6 yrs. She THINKS he trained people in how to use weapons....and there are only 400 other people in the US that do his job.

I tried to assure her that with a job like that...it at least sounded like he'ld stay stateside. My only other thought is: who's he training since he's been out 6 yrs? New recruits?

He hasn't been "activated" yet....they are just putting them on warning I guess.

In the time since 9/11, we've had many other friends who are reserves or "weekend" guards get activated & return already. But we have MANY more "full time" guards friends who are currently deployed. Just never heard on anyone in his situation yet.

Thanks for input!

 

[JohnTBap]

We have three reservists at school. We said goodbye to one after 9/11 - he came back the next day. We said goodbye to him again recently - he came back the next day. Both times he said he got a late call saying his orders were changed. Ironically, one of the PE coaches got a late call and we didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. There's just no telling.

 

[jamsmom]

I can;t imagine what your friend must be going through. She is very lucky to have you. Is there a way that her husband can get more information as to what she may need to be prepared for?

I know that my friends whose husbands ARE active at Ft. Hood had some kind of deployment meeting and were given information.

 

[SplshMtn99]

JohnTBap --- that's WEIRD! But I'll definitely tell her. It might help -- though I doubt it would happen.

Jansmom -- I would expect there would be a meeting. Everyone else I know that has been deployed has had one...but it's all so new to her. Her SO is a bit like mine. Don't really want to talk about it. And she's a bit like me -- we both kick into overdrive take charge mode. She just can't get the info she needs to ease her mind. <sigh>

 

[Grog]

The whole thing sounds a bit strange. I remember when I was in the Regular Army and about to get out I asked about the "Inactive Reserve". I was told there was no such thing, only the IRR which has already been mentioned in this thread. Usually the longest anyone should have to be in the IRR is three year to fill out their commitment (at the time I was in a commitiment was for six years, which was a combination of Active and IRR). It is possible to reenlist in the IRR, which I did. I stayed in the IRR for six years as I was working as a volunteer JROTC instructor and being in the Reserves gave me a bit more credibility with the students. I also attended a few Annual Training sessions and attended a couple of schools and some correspondence courses.

Something else to keep in mind. Anytime you have been out of the service completely and haven't trained in at least five years, you have to go back through Basic Training (at least that's the way it used to be). This is due to the fact that weapons systems, doctrine, etc, can change a lot in that short period of time. When I went through Basic in 1982, we had two Vietnam Veterans in our company that were starting from scratch as they had been out of the service for about ten years each.

The only thing I can think ( and I may be wrong) is that your co-workers DH was in a VERY critical skill and they are either making some sort of exeption for those type of people, or "drafting" him in some sort of DOD worker capacity. I wonder if maybe his former commander isn't being entirely truthful and making him feel that he has to go back in when perhaps he doesn't. Whatever the case, I wish him and his family well.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I wonder if maybe his former commander isn't being entirely truthful and making him feel that he has to go back in when perhaps he doesn't. Whatever the case, I wish him and his family well.

Hey, now THERE's a thought! Combined with what you just said & what someone else previously said here....I'm thinking he could have MISUNDERSTOOD...and they are trying to get him to re-enlist. I'll DEFINITELY tell her to CHECK INTO THAT!!!

He did tell her he wouldn't have to go thru Basic again, but instead, thru some advanced refresher type training.

 

[poohbear1029]

There is such a thing as inactive reserve. Depending on branch and type of service for so many years after separation you can be called back. A close friend got out of Army Guard years ago and just got his final discharge papers within last year.

DH is active duty AF stationed at Hanscom AFB, in Bedford MA. He is soon to be assigned as an ROTC instructor at Worcester Polytech. I am thankful, but feel guilty when so many of our friends are in harms way.

What I can tell you is that DH is a Civil Engineer and his career field and many others are under what they call "stop loss" right now. Even with his committment being met, he could not get out anyway because of the need for his careerfield. Something tells me that they only call back inactive reserve in dire need or a specialized career field.

Try to see if your friend can get in touch with Family Support at the base her SO is/was based out of for contact support. If he is activated, she should try to keep in contact with his commanders wife or SO.....sometimes they are good source of information. Also it will just build contacts that understand what she is going thru.

Spent a year alone from 97-98 while DH was in Saudi, a good support system was the key to my survival!!!

 

[jsmith]

If his designation is IRR he is NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN INACTIVE-IRR stands for Individual Ready Reserve. These are folks who may not be in a drilling status or be attached to a reserve unit but who have skills the military anticipates they may need in time of war but that may not require ongoing training-often they are language specialists (does he speak Arabic, Turkish or Farsi?), intelligence analysts, demolition experts or have some other special skill. IRR troops can be subject to 48 hour recall to active duty for up to 6 years after going on IRR status.
If he is IR-inactive reserves or ING-inactive national guard this means he is not in a pay status with a drilling unit but that his term of service has not expired-he chose to leave active duty with out going into the reserves or to leave a paid reservist status-or stop going to drill while he still owed time on his enlistment . This can apply to any enlisted person who left the service before the term of enlistment expired or any officer who resigned his or her commission before their term of service expired and to Scholarship ROTC cadets or Service academy cadets who completed their sophomore year of education or more but were never commissioned. These folks are all subject to recall until the term of enlistment expires or in the case of cadets six years from the time they leave the academy or program. Officers and cadets will usually be recalled in enlisted pay grades 4,5, or 6 depending on thier years of service prior to going inactive. Generally they will be recalled if the last unit they were assigned to is understrength at the time of mobilization or they have a special skill that is needed.
Unless you have the discharge papers or the letter from ARPERCEN acknowledging your eligibility for retirement pay and if you still hold any type of military ID-YOUR ARE NOT OUT OF THE SERVICE.
SplshMtn99 no need for you to feel guilty-your DH is doing his duty and contributing to the safety of the country-and if his unit's skills are needed, he will be called.