2% of Reservists Barred for Health, Hardship Reasons
Fewer than 2% of the more than 147,000 Army Reserve and National Guard members ordered to active duty since last August have been excused from duty for health or hardship reasons, an Army official said Thursday.
“People have been pleasantly surprised” at the readiness of the reservists, said Van D. Hipp, the Army’s deputy assistant secretary for reserve affairs, noting that the Army call-up is the largest since the Korean War.
The rate of “nondeployable” reservists has been about the same as for the regular active-duty force, Hipp said.
He said that about half the reservists put on active duty have been sent to the Persian Gulf. The others serve in the United States or at U.S. bases in Europe.
Separately, the Army announced Thursday that it has ordered 247 National Guard members and reservists from Florida, Illinois, New York and Wisconsin to active duty for the war. Most are with transportation units. They are scheduled to report today.
Hipp also said more than 10,000 retired Army personnel have volunteered to return to active duty since the war began Jan. 17.
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