Individual Ready Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) is a category of the Ready Reserve
of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel, and is authorized under . As of 22 June 2004, the IRR had approximately 112,000 members (does not include all service IRR populations) composed of enlisted personnel and officers
, with more than 200 Military Occupational Specialties
are represented, including combat arms
, combat support
, and combat service support
.
An individual assigned to the IRR receives no pay and is not obligated to drill, conduct annual training, or participate in any military activities (except for periodic Muster activities) until activated by Presidential Reserve Callup Authority. Individuals who are assigned to an "Inactive Status" are entitled to limited benefits. These benefits include: Entitlement to a Military ID Card, ID Cards for their dependents, PX/BX (Exchange) benefits, Commissary benefits, and MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) Benefits. (Note: These benefits are only available to Inactive Members in the "CONUS" 48 States.) An individual assigned to the IRR may receive pay and full benefits (including medical care and dental care for member and dependents) for voluntarily performing specific types of active duty. Because members of the IRR rarely serve on extended active duty and are not retired from military service, most are not eligible for medical care from DoD or VA. Currently, neither DoD nor VA has responsibility for health care of IRR members.
By law, IRR members are only required to retain possession of their service uniforms, retain their military identification card, and notify their service branch if they move and change their address.
Upon being called up, service members will usually be screened for their medical and personal status in order to qualify or disqualify them for activation. During the process, IRR members who seek to delay, defer, or exempt their activations have the opportunity to present their case to the mobilization authority for a decision.
An enlisted service member's IRR service ends after the completion of their mandatory service obligation (MSO), usually 8 years.
The Individual Ready Reserve, Selected Reserve
, and Inactive National Guard comprise the three Ready Reserve
programs.
When activated by Presidential Reserve Callup Authority, soldiers are required to follow the activation instructions contained in Army Regulation 135-91 specifying that members of the IRR can be required to join an Army Reserve unit if they are statutorily obligated and have a skill needed by the Army. Reserve soldiers are normally obligated to serve up to two years active duty, a requirement that is waiverable by the individual soldier, mission constraints, or the needs of the Army.
, members of the Individual Ready Reserve had not been called up since Operation Desert Storm. A major difficulty in activating the IRR stems from the fact that many of its members, typically those from the junior enlisted ranks, are unaware that they are even in the military. This results from such members typically being informed that they are "discharged" upon release from active duty when in fact they have been transferred to the inactive reserves. To solve this situation, many military separation transition courses now spend additional time explaining the nature of the inactive reserve. As of 2005, the military also began to enact "IRR Musters" which were once a year occurrences where an IRR member would be required to report to a military base, confirm their personal and contact information, and sign acknowledgment paperwork that they were members of the IRR.
The military has encountered isolated incidents of IRR members who "disappear" and cannot be located or IRR members who refuse to mobilize, stating they were advised that they were "out of the military". This normally has little impact on benefits obtained following release from active duty, but can lead to a less-than-honorable discharge from the reserves.
that met the needs of the Army at that time. In June 2004, those soldiers were transferred into Selected Reserve
units to begin drilling, training, and preparing for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
29 July 2004:
April 2005:
August 2006:
March 2007:
They were used for early rotation into a 2008 deployment. If more troops were needed, another recall was planned for July.
August 2007:
April 2008:
As of March 2009, the US Army had recalled 26,954 ready reservists since September 11, 2001. Of those, 10,592 requested exemptions of which 6,352 were granted.
Ready Reserve
The Ready Reserve is a program maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain a pool of trained service members that may be recalled to active duty should the need arise. It is composed of service members that are contracted to serve in the Ready Reserve for a specified period of time as...
of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel, and is authorized under . As of 22 June 2004, the IRR had approximately 112,000 members (does not include all service IRR populations) composed of enlisted personnel and officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, with more than 200 Military Occupational Specialties
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
are represented, including combat arms
U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System
The Combat Arms Regimental System , was the method of assigning unit designations to units of the five combat arms of the United States Army from 1957 to 1981. CARS was superseded by the U.S...
, combat support
Combat support
In the United States Army, the term combat support refers to units that provide fire support and operational assistance to combat elements. Combat support units provide specialized support functions to combat units in the areas of chemical warfare, combat engineering, intelligence, security, and...
, and combat service support
Combat service support
Combat service support is a subset of military logistics. Combat service support is more limited in depth than logistics, as it primarily addresses those factors directly influencing combat operations.-United States Army:...
.
An individual assigned to the IRR receives no pay and is not obligated to drill, conduct annual training, or participate in any military activities (except for periodic Muster activities) until activated by Presidential Reserve Callup Authority. Individuals who are assigned to an "Inactive Status" are entitled to limited benefits. These benefits include: Entitlement to a Military ID Card, ID Cards for their dependents, PX/BX (Exchange) benefits, Commissary benefits, and MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) Benefits. (Note: These benefits are only available to Inactive Members in the "CONUS" 48 States.) An individual assigned to the IRR may receive pay and full benefits (including medical care and dental care for member and dependents) for voluntarily performing specific types of active duty. Because members of the IRR rarely serve on extended active duty and are not retired from military service, most are not eligible for medical care from DoD or VA. Currently, neither DoD nor VA has responsibility for health care of IRR members.
By law, IRR members are only required to retain possession of their service uniforms, retain their military identification card, and notify their service branch if they move and change their address.
Upon being called up, service members will usually be screened for their medical and personal status in order to qualify or disqualify them for activation. During the process, IRR members who seek to delay, defer, or exempt their activations have the opportunity to present their case to the mobilization authority for a decision.
An enlisted service member's IRR service ends after the completion of their mandatory service obligation (MSO), usually 8 years.
The Individual Ready Reserve, Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve is a term that describes both the members of a U.S. military Ready Reserve unit that are enrolled in the Ready Reserve program and the reserve unit that they are attached to...
, and Inactive National Guard comprise the three Ready Reserve
Ready Reserve
The Ready Reserve is a program maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain a pool of trained service members that may be recalled to active duty should the need arise. It is composed of service members that are contracted to serve in the Ready Reserve for a specified period of time as...
programs.
Callup Authority and Activation
"Presidential Reserve Callup Authority" (PRCA) is a provision of a public law (US Code, Title 10 (DOD), section 12304) that provides the President a means to activate, without a declaration of national emergency, not more than 200,000 members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve (of whom not more than 30,000 may be members of the Individual Ready Reserve), for not more than 400 days to meet the support requirements of any operational mission. Members called under this provision may not be used for disaster relief or to suppress insurrection. This authority has particular utility when used in circumstances in which the escalatory national or international signals of partial or full mobilization would be undesirable. Forces available under this authority can provide a tailored, limited-scope, deterrent or operational response, or may be used as a precursor to any subsequent mobilization.When activated by Presidential Reserve Callup Authority, soldiers are required to follow the activation instructions contained in Army Regulation 135-91 specifying that members of the IRR can be required to join an Army Reserve unit if they are statutorily obligated and have a skill needed by the Army. Reserve soldiers are normally obligated to serve up to two years active duty, a requirement that is waiverable by the individual soldier, mission constraints, or the needs of the Army.
Activations in the War on Terror
Until the War on TerrorWar on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, members of the Individual Ready Reserve had not been called up since Operation Desert Storm. A major difficulty in activating the IRR stems from the fact that many of its members, typically those from the junior enlisted ranks, are unaware that they are even in the military. This results from such members typically being informed that they are "discharged" upon release from active duty when in fact they have been transferred to the inactive reserves. To solve this situation, many military separation transition courses now spend additional time explaining the nature of the inactive reserve. As of 2005, the military also began to enact "IRR Musters" which were once a year occurrences where an IRR member would be required to report to a military base, confirm their personal and contact information, and sign acknowledgment paperwork that they were members of the IRR.
The military has encountered isolated incidents of IRR members who "disappear" and cannot be located or IRR members who refuse to mobilize, stating they were advised that they were "out of the military". This normally has little impact on benefits obtained following release from active duty, but can lead to a less-than-honorable discharge from the reserves.
Army
In March 2004, Army Human Resources Command began identifying IRR soldiers with Military Occupational SpecialtiesMilitary Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
that met the needs of the Army at that time. In June 2004, those soldiers were transferred into Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve is a term that describes both the members of a U.S. military Ready Reserve unit that are enrolled in the Ready Reserve program and the reserve unit that they are attached to...
units to begin drilling, training, and preparing for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Marines
The Marines began activating their IRR members beginning in 2001. They were allotted up to 2500 Marines to be activated at any one time. So far, two major activations have occurred, targeting mostly Corporals and Sergeants and those with high-demand training (combat arms, logistics, maintenance, etc.).History of War on Terror activations
February 2003:- Marine Corps Arabic linguists and other support personnel were recalled to active duty to serve in Iraq. This activation was the first time that the IRR had been called upon since the 1991 Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, when approximately 20,000 IRR troops were called up in support of Operation Desert Storm.
29 July 2004:
- 5,600 members of the IRR, mainly with specialties as military police or Civil AffairsCivil AffairsCivil Affairs is a term used by both the United Nations and by military institutions , but for different purposes in each case.-United Nations Civil Affairs:...
, were called to active duty to support U.S. forces in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
April 2005:
- Defense SecretaryUnited States Secretary of DefenseThe Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Donald RumsfeldDonald RumsfeldDonald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
authorized the ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to mobilize up to 6,500 Individual Ready Reservists at any one time. - 3,900 IRR members with critical specialties called to active duty.
- About 550 of those called failed to report for duty, some claimed exemptions, others ignored their orders.
August 2006:
- President BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
authorized the U.S. Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to recall 2,500 troops to active duty.
March 2007:
- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved the recall of 1800 Marines not in their first or last year of their IRR contract, 1200 of which were Sergeants and Captains joining the I MEF in Iraq. Specialties recalled included:
- Aviation maintenance, 361
- Logistics support, 225
- Infantry, tanks and artillery, 223
- Motor transport, 178
- Communications, 97
- Intelligence, 95
- Military police, 21
They were used for early rotation into a 2008 deployment. If more troops were needed, another recall was planned for July.
August 2007:
- The Marines sent out another recall for a September 2007. muster and screening for possible activation in early 2008.
April 2008:
- The Marines sent out another recall for a May 30 muster and screening for a possible activation in October 2008.
- In September 2008, The Marines sent out another notification of recall for an involuntary muster and screening on October 12 for activation on May 18, 2009.
As of March 2009, the US Army had recalled 26,954 ready reservists since September 11, 2001. Of those, 10,592 requested exemptions of which 6,352 were granted.
Delay, Deferment, & Exemption (DD&E)
Delay, Deferment and Exemption (DD&E) are the methods by which a service member may be relieved of immediate activation.- Delay - When a service member cannot be activated immediately (for example, they are getting married soon), but they are for all other reasons qualified, and can be called up later for activation. Usually the delay will last up to 4–6 months depending on the needs of the activation.
- Deferment - The service member cannot serve immediately for a fixed amount of time (for example, the service member is in school and will graduate within a year), but can be called up later when the situation changes.
- Exemption - The service member has an immutable characteristic which will never qualify them for activation (for example, the service member is an ordained religious member).
See also
- Ready ReserveReady ReserveThe Ready Reserve is a program maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain a pool of trained service members that may be recalled to active duty should the need arise. It is composed of service members that are contracted to serve in the Ready Reserve for a specified period of time as...
- United States Army ReserveUnited States Army ReserveThe United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
- Battle AssemblyBattle AssemblyBattle Assembly is the term used by the United States Army Reserve to describe monthly training, where soldiers practice and perfect their military skills and maintain individual and unit readiness in the event of mobilization and deployment...