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Should be "Back-Door Draft"

Comment comment by jmarkdavison on 12 October 2006

My friend, a ROTC grad, was released from active duty in August of this year, after serving four years, one of which was in Iraq. In September they called him up form the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) to serve 12-18 months in an AC/RC job.

You never see the figures in the news, but I would be interested to know how many folks have been called up for IRR. I hear they like to get West Point grads a month or two before their 8-year IRR time expires (although to be fair I don't know any actual examples, just hearsay). Does anyone have any peers who have been called up, or have any links to stories about IRR?

The Army's new slogan should be the one coined by John Kerry: "Back-Door Draft."

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RE: Should be "Back-Door Draft" by mikeforbes :: NR6

"Back-Door Draft."

This is a deeply dishonest phrase to describe calling up soldiers from the IRR. Anybody and everybody who joins the Army signs up for eight (8) years. Period. It's right there in black and white in the contract. No "fine print," no vague or misleading language - eight years. Now, you can split those eight years up into different combinations of Active, Reserve/National Guard, and IRR ... but it's still the same 8 years for everyone.

The perception built over the last 20 years or so was that the IRR would never be called up unless the "Red Horde" was landing on the California coast; a predictable consequence of a peacetime Army. But regardless of that (mis)conception, the fact is that the Army is currently bearing the lion's share of the burden of two wars, and we don't have the luxury of an "untouchable" IRR anymore.

Using the term "draft" to describe the practice of re-activating some members of the IRR implies the forced conscription of civilians against their will; and "backdoor" implies that the Army is doing it by some shady means. Both implications are false.

A tiny part of me feels some sympathy for people whose civilian careers are interrupted or plans are changed suddenly -- but then I remember that every one of those people was a volunteer, who willingly signed up for eight years of service. If you are not prepared to fulfill the terms of an agreement, the solution is simple: don't sign the contract. If we were talking about any other type of business or legal contract, this wouldn't even be a debateable issue. So why is it when it comes to military service?

Posted 12 October 2006, Hide, Parent, Reply