thedrifter
05-23-07, 05:45 PM
960 IRR Marines ordered to Iraq
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, May 23, 2007
ARLINGTON, Va. — A little more than half of the 1,800 Individual Ready Reserve Marines contacted about being mobilized have received orders to go to Iraq, Marine Corps Manpower officials said.
Troops in the IRR have left active duty but still have time on their obligation to serve. Unlike other reservists, they do not drill.
Not all IRR Marines who are notified they could deploy actually get orders to go downrange because the Corps looks at a variety of issues to see if deploying an IRR Marine would put a severe personal hardship on him or her, said Corps spokesman Maj. Steven O’Connor.
IRR Marines are also screened for any physical conditions that may disqualify them from deploying — being overweight is not one of them, according to Marine Corps Mobilization Command.
“As part of the latest call-up, 960 IRR Marines had received orders to deploy as of May 17,” officials said in a Tuesday e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
That number does not include the 69 IRR Marines who had already received orders to go to Iraq before March.
In March, Corps officials announced that they were looking to recall 1,067 sergeants and 133 captains from the IRR in the following Military Occupational Specialties:
n Aviation maintenance, 361
n Logistics support, 225
n Infantry, tanks and artillery, 223
n Motor transport, 178
n Communications, 97
n Intelligence, 95
n Military police, 21
Officials could not give a breakdown of the 960 IRR Marines who are going downrange by rank and MOS.
The Corps has no plans at this point to try to draw on the IRR for the unfilled billets, officials said.
“Any remaining unfilled billets will be reviewed for further sourcing options from active component members, if warranted,” officials said in a Tuesday e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
Facing a shortfall of 1,200 Marines, the Corps announced in August that it planned to mobilize up to 2,500 IRR Marines.
In March, Corps officials said more IRR Marines could be notified that they could be mobilized this July if the Corps still needed Marines.
Officials could not say Tuesday whether the Corps would recall more IRR Marines in July.
“Further IRR call-ups are unknown at this time as we continue to plan for future force rotations,” officials said.
Ellie
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, May 23, 2007
ARLINGTON, Va. — A little more than half of the 1,800 Individual Ready Reserve Marines contacted about being mobilized have received orders to go to Iraq, Marine Corps Manpower officials said.
Troops in the IRR have left active duty but still have time on their obligation to serve. Unlike other reservists, they do not drill.
Not all IRR Marines who are notified they could deploy actually get orders to go downrange because the Corps looks at a variety of issues to see if deploying an IRR Marine would put a severe personal hardship on him or her, said Corps spokesman Maj. Steven O’Connor.
IRR Marines are also screened for any physical conditions that may disqualify them from deploying — being overweight is not one of them, according to Marine Corps Mobilization Command.
“As part of the latest call-up, 960 IRR Marines had received orders to deploy as of May 17,” officials said in a Tuesday e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
That number does not include the 69 IRR Marines who had already received orders to go to Iraq before March.
In March, Corps officials announced that they were looking to recall 1,067 sergeants and 133 captains from the IRR in the following Military Occupational Specialties:
n Aviation maintenance, 361
n Logistics support, 225
n Infantry, tanks and artillery, 223
n Motor transport, 178
n Communications, 97
n Intelligence, 95
n Military police, 21
Officials could not give a breakdown of the 960 IRR Marines who are going downrange by rank and MOS.
The Corps has no plans at this point to try to draw on the IRR for the unfilled billets, officials said.
“Any remaining unfilled billets will be reviewed for further sourcing options from active component members, if warranted,” officials said in a Tuesday e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
Facing a shortfall of 1,200 Marines, the Corps announced in August that it planned to mobilize up to 2,500 IRR Marines.
In March, Corps officials said more IRR Marines could be notified that they could be mobilized this July if the Corps still needed Marines.
Officials could not say Tuesday whether the Corps would recall more IRR Marines in July.
“Further IRR call-ups are unknown at this time as we continue to plan for future force rotations,” officials said.
Ellie