Leonard Wood training mobilized IRR Soldiers
By Spc. Tremeshia Ellis
November 3, 2004
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Army News Service, Nov. 3, 2004) --"We've been civilians too long. They're straightening us all out," said Pfc. Michael Vivirito of Chicago.
Vivirito was one of 112 Individual Ready Reserve Soldiers who arrived at the 43rd Adjutant General Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Aug. 31, to begin refresher training. Seventy-three of those Soldiers have now gone on to fill vacancies in deploying units.
The Soldiers were among the first of more than 4,400 in the IRR slated to be called back to active duty through March, officials said.
The IRR Soldiers inprocess, undergo seven to 10 days of warrior task training and then continue on to occupation-specific training.
Engineer, chemical and military police Soldiers do their MOS training at Fort Leonard Wood. Tank crewmen go on to Fort Knox, Ky.; Logistics Soldiers to Fort Lee, Va., and others to Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
Other posts in-processing IRR Soldiers include Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort Knox and Fort Benning, Ga.
"They needed individual Soldiers to flush out units that are getting ready to deploy," said Herb Hiatt, mobilization officer at Fort Leonard Wood's DPTM.
Those in the IRR have a remaining service obligation and unlike new recruits, they are experienced and can rapidly contribute significantly to Army readiness and operational capabilities, Hiatt said.
The IRR consists of more than 100,000 trained Soldiers who are eligible to be called upon to fill vacancies in Army units. The Soldiers are from all walks of life and all ranks, said Maj. Randy Roll of Fort Leonard Wood's Mobilization and Reserve Affairs Division, Directorate of Plans, Training and Mobilization.
"It's good to see them here," said Dave Wiseman, 43rd AG chief of plans, training and mobilization. "At least they're answering the call."
Of the first group of 112 that reported at Leonard Wood, 35 were released for medical reasons and 4 for other causes. The rest continued training and went on to units.
1st Sgt. Roger Macon of Leonard Wood's Maneuver Support Center said training the IRR Soldiers will not strain the resources at the post's occupational specialty schools.
"These Soldiers are already trained, they just need a refresher course," Macon said.
Most of the IRR Soldiers are being mobilized for one year, some up to 18 months, according to Hiatt.
This is not the first time the IRR has been called. During the Gulf War, more than 20,000 IRR Soldiers were mobilized and deployed. Since then, there have been several other voluntary and involuntary IRR Soldier call-ups, including 2,533 IRR Soldiers mobilized since Sep. 11, 2001 in the Global War on Terror.
"The last Gulf War was the last time I saw more than 20 IRR Soldiers at a time," Hiatt said.
After undergoing their individual rapid train ups, the Soldiers will go through a series of exercises to validate that they can accomplish their war-time missions, Hiatt said.
Then they will go through the collective training and unit integration process once they are assigned to a mobilizing unit, he said.
"In three to four months, these Soldiers will most likely be on the ground in Iraq," Hiatt added.
(Editor's note: Spc. Tremeshia Ellis writes for the Guidon newspaper at Fort Leonard Wood.)_
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