Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: rab%rosemary.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Robert A. Bruce) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Reserve Call-Up Message-ID: <1990Aug28.030929.22100@cbnews.att.com> Date: 28 Aug 90 03:09:29 GMT References: <1990Aug22.025527.16670@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Comp. Sci. Dept., U. C. Berkeley Lines: 71 Approved: military@att.att.com From: rab%rosemary.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Robert A. Bruce) > Just what are the mechanics and procedures for a call-up of Reserves in > the US? Is Presidential authority required for any such actions, or can > the services do it on their own as they see fit, or is there some > lead-time notification of Congressional oversight committees required, > or what? The president can mobilize a limited number of reservists (I think it is 100000) for a limited period (I think it is 90 days). After that he needs congressional approval. > That is, can a single individual, or a small group, be called up, or > does an entire unit have to be called up at once? Single individuals, or small units may be mobilized. When the 7th MEB left for the MidEast, they were short on personnel for their TOW Company. A friend of mine with a lot of TOW experience volunteered to go. He was moblilized, and is now in Saudi Arabia. > I would think that there would be many similar units in the Reserves > scattered throughout the states. How is it decided which particular > unit(s) are called up? Are they all ranked by readiness and equipment > availability, so the ones at the top of the list are called first, or > is it just a political issue? ("Ohio voted Democrat in the last > Presidential election, so call up all the Ohio units first." or > something like that? :-) Although units are similar, they often have special training or capabilities. In the Marine Corps Reserve, the 25th Marines (Northeastern U.S.) specialize in cold weather operations and send units to Norway every winter. The 23rd Marines (Western U.S.) specialize in low intensity (i.e. guerrilla) warfare. Nearly all Marines recieve desert training during the combined arms exercises at 29 Palms. Each company is given a combat readiness test and a mobilization test about once every two years. I imagine that they will take these test results into account when they decide which units to mobilize. > Are given Reserve units "affiliated" with specific Regular Army units, > so that they will always be called upon to serve with the same force > (sort of like a baseball team's "farm clubs" maybe), or are they just > a general resource pool and don't know what command they'll be assigned > to when they are called up? Or do the Reserves form their own > organizations from the bottom to the top, so that they become a > completely-Reserve fighting/serving unit? The way it works in the Marines, is that the reserves have their own organizations, all the way up to division and wing headquarters. But in addition we are affiliated with active duty units. My unit (Company E, 2nd Bn, 23rd Marines, San Bruno, California) is affiliated with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Camp Pendelton, California. We trained with them each summer for the last several years. This gives the politicians maximum flexibility. They can either mobilize large reserve units to operate independently, or they can mobilize smaller units and use them to reinforce active duty units. We are prepared for either. 5th Marines has already gone to Saudi Arabia, so if we are mobilized now, it looks like we will stay in our own organizations rather than being attached to our affiliated active duty units. If anyone has any more questions about the Marine Corps Reserve, I will try to answer them. Especially if you are healthy, between the ages of 18 and 29, and live in Northern California. :-) -bob