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Boards to decide fate of IRR no-shows

By Jennifer Downing
January 10, 2006

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 9, 2005) – Army boards will soon be convened to decide whether to discharge about 80 Soldiers in the Individual Ready Reserve who failed to report for duty over the past 18 months.

Since August 2001, the Army has issued mobilization orders for more than 7,200 IRR Soldiers, with more than 3,000 of those Soldiers currently serving on active duty. The remaining IRR Soldiers who received orders are awaiting their report date, are being considered for a delay or exemption, or have completed their tour of duty, officials said.

By conducting separation proceedings for the 80 who did not report, Army officials said they want to send a message that not obeying lawful orders to mobilize is unacceptable, and that those who intentionally fail to obey their orders are breaking the law and shirking their responsibilities to the Army, their fellow Soldiers and to the citizens of the United States.

The Army contacted the Soldiers through various methods including telephone conversations, certified mail, e-mail and through messages left with relatives.

Each Soldier’s circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis, officials said. A Soldier who receives an “under other than honorable discharge” may be ineligible for numerous benefits and may encounter difficulties in seeking civilian employment, they said.

The IRR consists of individuals who have training and have served previously in the regular Army or Reserve and may have some period of their military service obligation remaining. In the first Gulf War, more than 20,000 IRR Soldiers were called to duty.