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From: terryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re:  Reserve Call-Up
Message-ID: <1990Aug28.043356.1026@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 28 Aug 90 04:33:56 GMT
References: <1990Aug22.025527.16670@cbnews.att.com> <1990Aug24.034354.1385@cbnews.att.com>
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From: terryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker)
In article <1990Aug24.034354.1385@cbnews.att.com> cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) writes:

>Then DOD starts issuing orders.  Every Reservist has a pre-designated
>mobilization billet (job); in fact, he/she carries the instructions
>on a card.  This billet may be with the organic reserve unit itself,
>or it may be to some other location/unit. Exotic rates/MOSs tend to
>be assigned this way, say, to communications stations, C2 Teams.

This is true of the Selected Reserve (drilling reservists).  There is
also something called the Individual Ready Reserve.  These people do
not drill, and do not receive money.  They are simply available to
fill holes.  The IRR are generally not assigned to specific
mobilization billets.  The length of time to notifiy them, plus the
fact that they haven't been drilling (nobody then knows what their
skill levels are) means they will take longer to mobilize.  I guess
the assumption is that they will simply fill holes after the main
mobilization.  

>Some units (ANG) have activated individuals on a voluntary basis
>(before executive order). Now the DOD can simply pick and choose,
>taking what units it wants, at whatever strength it wants, and
>whatever individuals it may need to fill critically short jobs.
>For example, the Navy may be critically short of some seagoing
>engineering ratings, so they may strip Reserve units to plug holes
>in wartime manning requirements (peacetime active units are at about
>2/3 to 3/4 wartime compliment).
>
Actually the Navy system doesn't work quite this way.  Each command
has a wartime manning document.  Some of these billets are not manned
in peacetime.  The remainder can be filled 2 ways.  There are
reserve detachments assigned to each ship.  These people train when
possible aboard the assigned ship.  The remaining billets will be
filled by other bodies in the reserve mobilization.  The Navy does not
like to pull people out of one reseve billet to fill another slot,
because that simply leaves another hole in the mobilization tables.
Where possible entire units or detachments are recalled to active
duty.  

The Navy also has Naval Reserve Force (NRF) units which are somewhat
unique (although I believe the ANG does something similar).  These are
reserve units with equipement.  They are usually functions the Navy
wants to keep, but doesn't want to spend a lot of money retaining
(i.e. mine warfare, riverine/coastal warfare, control of shipping.(ie.
convoys), etc.).  These units are manned 30-70% active duty.  The
remainder are SELRES.  If the function of the unit is deemed
unappropriate to the reason for mobilization (such as riverine/inshore
warfare in the Persian Gulf), then the NRF personnel, active and
SELRES, are available to fill any mobilization holes.  


-- 
Terry Rooker
terryr@cse.ogi.edu