Air Force Working to Get Reservists Home

The Pentagon is trying to figure out how to send home thousands of air reservists called to active duty more than a year ago in the counter-terrorism war.

The Defense Department is working with the Air Force to find ways to reduce the number of mobilized Air National Guard and Air Force Reservists who are doing security duty at installations in the states and overseas, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dan Stoneking said Thursday.

“We have many dedicated, patriotic reservists who would like to serve the nation, and yet we have many in the Air Force who have served and would like to return to their employers and their families,” he said.

Under a mobilization order signed by President Bush last year, the Pentagon began calling up reserves Sept. 14, 2001, three days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. About 130,000 from all services have served.

Though the military can legally hold a reservist in service for two years, it is uncommon to do so. And officials would like to give those who have served for more than a year some relief.

As of August, an estimated 14,000 air guard and air reservists were entering their second year of service, Stoneking said. Though the number has been brought down some, there were no exact figures available concerning how many are in their second year of active duty.

The problem arises partly because the Air Force has so many installations -- more than 160 -- that were put on heightened security last year.

The problem isn’t as acute in the Army and Navy, Stoneking said. The Navy doesn’t have as many installations and the Army has more people routinely trained in security duties.

Currently, 50,755 reservists are on active duty, most assigned to positions in the United States. That number peaked in late July above 85,000. If the United States goes to war in Iraq, Pentagon officials expect to need at least 100,000 more and possibly twice that.