More than 1/3 of the total number of former soldiers have failed to comply with orders that they report for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is
reported that any one who refused to report would be declared AWOL (Absent Without Leave).
ap.tbo.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 800 former soldiers have failed to comply with Army orders to get back in uniform and report for duty in Iraq or
Afghanistan, the Army said Friday. That is more than one-third of the total who were told to report to a mobilization station by Oct. 17.
Three weeks ago the number stood at 622 amid talk that any who refused to report for duty could be declared Absent Without Leave. Refusing to report
for duty normally would lead to AWOL charges, but the Army is going out of its way to resolve these cases as quietly as possible.
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More than 4,000 soldiers have recieved orders to return to duty since July 6th. Of this total, only 2,288 have reported.
Currently there are nearly 400 IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first IRR Marine, Sgt. Douglas E. Bascom, 25,
of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was killed in Iraq earlier this week.
Reportedly the Army is going out of it's way to keep this quiet and resolve these problems and keep the men from being charged with AWOL.
[edit on 23-10-2004 by deeprivergal]