Anokoblog: Over 1/3rd of Ex-Soldiers Fail to Report for Duty

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Over 1/3rd of Ex-Soldiers Fail to Report for Duty

CNN reports that at least 843 members of the Individual Ready Reserve have failed to report to duty after being called up to serve in Iraq. This represents about 37 percent of those who have received the call up. The IRR consists of people who were honorably discharged after finishing their active duty tours, but still are on call for the remaining years of their eight year commitment to the Army. CNN reports:

"That the Army has had to reach so deeply into its store of reserve soldiers is a measure of the strain the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns have put on the active-duty Army. When the American invading force toppled Baghdad in April 2003, the Army thought it would be sending most of its soldiers home within months. Instead, it has kept 100,000 or more there ever since."

The last time members of the IRR were called to duty was in 1990, when nearly 20,000 were called

In addition to those who have failed to report, at least 1498 have asked for delays or exemptions from duty. This represents an ever more increasing number of those refusing to work amongst military members who, for whatever reason, do not feel their initial committment entails their participation in this particular war.

The military has stated repeatedly that they do not want to prosecute those who fail to appear, and that they are trying to resolve these cases as quietly as possible. It is surprising that they have even allowed these numbers to be made public.

Here at Anokoblog World HQ, we endorse the refusal of work as the most effective resistance to injustice, whether on the shop floor or the battlefield. As we also believe the current war in Iraq is unjust and illegal, we applaud these soldiers for risking their freedom to resist the war, and encourage all those who feel able to take that risk to do so. We support our troops, those who stay home, and those who need our collective action to bring them home.

// posted by Anokoblogger @ 6:10 PM