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Survey: More IRR officers say no to deploying

Only about one-fifth of 10,000 veteran officers in the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve say they’re willing to be deployed overseas, an Army survey shows. It suggests souring attitudes within the military toward U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The rest of the officers are either quitting, retiring or being let go for failing to respond to Army questions about their readiness to deploy. The Army provided the survey results to USA Today.

The Individual Ready Reserve is one of the last resources the Army taps for manpower. It consists of former active-duty, National Guard and reserve soldiers who have moved into the Ready Reserve and lead virtually civilian lives. They neither drill nor train, although they remain part of the Army.

The Army mailed letters to the officers last year seeking firm commitments. Half of them did not respond, and they will be discharged, said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty. Of 4,500 who answered the letters, more than half elected to quit or retire from the Army.

Only 2,123 chose to remain and risk mobilization.

“We thank these soldiers for their service to their nation,” Hilferty said.

The Individual Ready Reserve consists of 87,000 soldiers. The Army letters targeted 10,000 veteran officers in the group who were voluntarily serving beyond their obligated term of service, which is usually eight years. Many were officers planning to remain in the Army until retirement. The Army wanted to know whether they were willing to risk mobilization.

Before Sept. 11, the Army rarely used the Ready Reserve. However, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have intensified the demand for troops. Since then, about 11,000 of these reservists have been called to active duty. About 6,000 have been deployed, mostly to Iraq or Afghanistan. The rest either received exemptions or their deployment is pending.

More than 200 enlisted soldiers in the Ready Reserve have defied orders to serve and are being discharged, Hilferty said. Others have complained about, resisted or ignored orders to serve. Some officers reported that they didn’t realize they were still in the Army, Hilferty said.

Many factors contribute to the low response from Ready Reserve officers, including negative feelings about the war and the Bush administration, says retired Army Col. Jim Martin, an associate professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

“What it does say in the end is that it’s not a very good [reserve] system,” Martin said.

Enlisted members of this reserve group are typically soldiers trying to complete an obligated term of service, usually of only a few years.

Hilferty said the Army will begin screening all members of Ready Reserve to make sure they are prepared for deployment.