Posted on: Monday, July 12, 2004

MILITARY UPDATE
Emergency call-up blamed on insurgency

By Tom Philpott

The intensity of violence in Iraq, with insurgents attacking roads and bridges and interrupting supply lines, is behind the rare involuntary recall of more than 5,600 soldiers who had completed active duty obligations, says Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff.

Cody told the House Armed Services Committee that the recall alert July 6 for 5,674 Individual Ready Reservists former soldiers living as civilians and awaiting expiration of service obligations resulted from worst-case deployment plans following a rise in violence.

Most of the IRR members to be recalled are support troops including truck drivers, heavy-equipment operators and engineers with skills to repair roads and buildings.

House committee members, disturbed by the surprise IRR call-up, pressed Cody and David Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel, for an explanation at a July 7 hearing. Chu said IRR service "is part of the obligation that each entrant in the military assumes."

Typically, members complete active or reserve drill obligations and then round out a total eight-year obligation in non-drill IRR status. Recalling IRR members "allows us to fill holes" in activated reserve or National Guard units, Chu said. They can take the place of members medically unfit or lacking skills sought by commanders. Some IRR members were activated for the 1990-91 Gulf War, Chu said.

But Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) said this involuntary recall "has gotten the attention of the American people." Why, Snyder asked, didn't the Army anticipate needs a year ago and tap active or drilling reserve personnel?

Cody blamed a surprising level of violence, which forced changes in deployments, and the need to repair damaged roads and bridges.

"We had to keep more truck drivers over there because the level of violence was such that you couldn't get (civilian) contractors to do some of that stuff. That, quite frankly, is what drove us to have to go back to more transportation units the second time, that we didn't plan on, and more engineering units the second time, that we didn't plan on."

The Army likely will recall 4,000 of 5,674 IRR soldier put on notice. They will serve 18 to 24 months.

At the urging of committee chairman Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Cody acknowledged a provision in the House defense authorization bill to raise active duty strength by 10,000 a year over three years. The Bush administration wants only a temporary increase, Chu said.

Committee Republicans and Democrats criticized that stand, citing signs of strain on forces. Hunter said the lesson of Iraq is that a small, technically superior force can win a war quickly, but to occupy a country is "manpower intensive" regardless of technology.

Iraq and Afghanistan, Hunter said, have stressed U.S. ground forces enough to raise doubts about the ability to "recover sufficiently from one commitment before committing to another."

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) described such emergency measures as evidence the Army is far too small despite Bush administration denials.

Questions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. Write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA 20120-1111, or send e-mail to: milupdate@aol.com. Or visit Tom Philpott's Web site.